Heath+McFaul

Heath McFaul

**__Background Statement__** Although educational reform efforts remain a high priority on just about every public and political agenda, dropout rates continue to plague many high school districts across the nation. Nearly one third of all public high school students will fail to earn their diploma each year, worse yet, almost 50% of blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans fail to graduate. This comes at a time when the current workforce demands highly skilled workers that carry, at the very least, a high school degree. Students leave high school for a variety of reasons, one in particular is that course offerings lack a real-world application.

**__Research Question__** My research will focus on what is being done to combat the motivational shortcomings of the current high school curriculum. Specifically, can the implementation of vocational training programs bridge the gap between dropout and graduate?

**__Literature Review__** One of the most comprehensive studies focusing on the need to develop meaningful career training as a part of comprehensive school reform is //the Pathways to Prosperity Project// produced in 2011 by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The research makes a strong case for the development of multiple pathways leading from high school to post-secondary education or career training. > **__Methods of Investigation__** This study will include young adults between the ages of 16-24 that have dropped from public school enrollment in Township High School District 211. The study will include an analysis of where the student was academically at the time of dropped enrollment, what reasons the student had for dropping enrollment and what their current personal/economic status is in today’s society.
 * The “college for all” rhetoric that has been so much a part of the current education reform movement needs to be significantly broadened to become a “post high school credential for all.” The hard reality is that fewer than one in three achieves the dream.
 * There is growing evidence of a skill-gap in which many young adults lack the skills and work ethic needed for many jobs that pay a middle-class wage.
 * A focus on college readiness alone does not equip young people with the skills and abilities needed for success in the workplace, or to successfully transition from adolescence to adulthood.
 * Schools need to build a more finely articulated pathway system – one that is richly diversified to align with the needs and interests of today’s young people and better designed to meet the needs of a 21st century economy.

The study will include enrollment data collected from each of the seven schools between 2004-05 school year to present. This data will then populate basic information about a student’s academic status at the time of dropped enrollment. In addition, said data will generate a list of names that will be used for individual surveys and interviews. The current graduation requirements include the successful completion of 18 academic units of credit within specific content areas, as well as physical education credit for each semester of attendance, 30 hours of driver safety education, qualifying exams in social sciences, and participation in state testing. The district is largest in the state of Illinois, and includes five high schools and two alternative learning centers with a total enrollment of over 12,500.

**__Questions Developed as a Result of Research__** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">District 211 consistently boasts one of the highest levels of academic success in the state, and statistically we are currently looking for new ways to showcase such accomplishments; perfect ACT scores, National Merit semifinalists, Illinois State Scholars, etc. However, we seldom hear about the other spectrum, which includes a 1% chronic truancy rate, and a 1.1% dropout rate (2008). What are the dropout rates from year to year, and how many students does that equate to? More importantly, has the problem increased and what has been done in response to it?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">**__What’s Next?__** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Information collected throughout the process will provide greater insight into what factors ultimately led to students dropping from enrollment. This information can then be used to begin discussions on educational reforms necessary to decrease the dropout rate.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">**__Invitation for Class Participation__** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">The message is clear: in 21st century America, education beyond high school is the passport fulfilling the American Dream. I look forward to your response to either of the following questions. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">(1) How much, and what kind of post-secondary education is really needed to prosper in the new American economy? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">(2) Will the development of vocational skills further dilute academic rigor, creating an even larger gap between education and economic success?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">1. Graph represents data collected in surveys between 2006-2008; GED is approximation based on data from GED Testing Program. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Source: Current Polulation Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement
 * __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Presentation Graphics __**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">[|graph_degree earned.pptx]